Sebour
+++NOTE; this is an alternate storyline for the character of Quinton Philips. Nothing in this edit is real and is a work of fiction. Arrival It was a quiet day in the little town of Sebour, a little to quiet. as the town was known to be "everyone knowns everyone". As Quinton was looking at the hospital, for his new job as a orthopaedic registrar. As soon as he stepped out of his car, he ran into local doctor Karl Kennedy. "Sorry about that. wasn't looking where I was going." said Quinton, Karl looked up and said "Hey. That's ok. Are you the new ortho doc?" "Yeah. I'm Quinton Philips. Not just a Ortho surgeon mate. I also do Emergency Medicine and dabble a little in neurology, you know gotta keep the skills up." Quinton chuckled. Karl smiled and said "How bout I show you round the hospital?" Quinton nodded and said "That would be great thanks." Quinton and Karl walked around the hospital as Quinton asked, "How long.." "How long what?" "How long have you been a doctor?" "20 years. stopped for a couple to look after family. How about you?" Quinton nodded "15. I went into teaching for a while. When I lost my wife I went back into medicine." "May I ask how?" "car accident. No student should've seen what happened that day. My wife was a teacher, later retired and started book writing." "You were teaching that day yes?" "I was. I was PE teaching on the school oval, when a truck collided with 3 cars. Truck driver died on impact, other cars rolled and went into school grounds..." Quinton stopped as he said "i don't want to get into the rest." Karl nodded and said "its a lot to take in." Quinton then said "Hey. If you want to read up on it, search it Karl. I have a long story. I moved here of a new opportunity, to save others." Karl nodded and said "You're not on the run are you?" Quinton laughed and said "No. I'm not on the run. Truth is... I spent 2 years in jail for assault. I had just retired from the NOL, and was having a heap of trouble. I got into the grog.. had a bad night. smashed someone in the face...I caught the bloke before he hit the concrete. Regretted ever since. I spent 2 years in solitary confinement. In a way its the best 2 years i spent to get myself together... I was suspended from practicing for 3 years and suspended from teaching for another 3. I spent 6 years helping myself." Karl let out a long sigh and said "You know.. that's the most honest I've ever heard a person." Quinton sighed and said "No point in lying anymore. I don't mind it now. Look when I settle in my I invite you and your loved one to dinner?" "I'd like that. I'll ask her." Karl smiled and said "Why medicine. why not go into teaching?" as they passed the emergency room. "I decided to semi retire from teaching, take up my medical career. Made it a lot easier." Quinton and Karl stopped. Quinton looking around and then saying "This hospital, reminds me of the hospital I worked at." Quinton smiled at it brought back memories. Quinton then looked to see a woman walking into a room. "Who was that?" Karl rolled his eyes and said "That would be Terese. But don't go there. she is divorced, and her daughter is in hospital after breaking her pelvis and leg." Quinton had his hand out reading the file he was given by the nurse they passed 4 floors ago. "her daughter is Piper?" "Yes.. how did you know?" "I work here now Karl, thank you for showing me around." "No issue. Where are you living at the moment?" "I'm staying at the hotel for the moment. But I plan on buying in the famous Ramsay st. notoriously hard to buy into." Karl chuckled and said "See you later. Make no trouble!" Quinton laughed as Karl walked away. Quinton knocked on the door and said "Good morning. My name is Dr Quinton Philips, the new Orthopaedic surgeon." Terese looked and said "What about the other doctor? Our doctor." "No doctor gets given the same patient. Just the way it goes." Quinton read the file and said "Fractured pelvis....pain..living.." "What?" "Just catching up. I just moved to the area.." Quinton looked up his face smiling. Piper saying "Yo. Dr Philips, how long do I have to stay here its been months." Quinton then said "I get that your eager to get out of here, but I just want to one thing." Quinton undid the pelvic binder and did a couple of tests. Terese looking on in awe. "Look. I am not going to lie here. But I reckon you can go home. How long have you been here for?" "4 months Dr Philips." Quinton brought in a Physio nurse and a walker and said "I will release you when you can walk down that hallway unaided." Piper sighed and said "But its been months." "Months you've been staring away at hospital walls. arguing with Karl and other doctors. Hey I know that. I broke my neck several years ago. I walked out of hospital 6 months later." Piper in awe saying "What did it feel like?" "Piper!" said Terese. "Its ok.. haha.. I had family. My wife was with me. Not long after that I lost her you know. She wrote books, she was a teacher as well." "Was one of her books called 'Calling of Grace'?" Quinton smiled and said "Yeah. She did. Her favourite book." Piper then said "Time to walk." Quinton and the Physio nurse helped Piper up, she started walking with the walker. She walked outside and walked down the hall. Everyone watching in eager awe. "You that good with everyone Doc?" said Terese. "I wish. I have a lot of skeletons in my closet. I wouldn't blame you if you google searched me." "Any bad secrets the town should know?" "I went to jail for 2 years. assault." Terese nodded and said "Ok." "Don't worry. I'm good now. I was suspended from both teaching and medicine for 3 years each." "Both? You're keen." "just someone who knows what its like. It was never about money when I retired from the NOL.." "You played Oztag." "I did. hated it." As Piper walked up the hall. Quinton said "I'd lay her off the pain killers now. get the scar tissue moving around the incision." Terese burst into tears and said "Thank you for getting her out of bed Dr Philips." Quinton stood there and whispered in her ear "Its all about the neck story.." "Serious?" "Serious." Terese looked to see Piper smiling for the first time in months. Piper then said "I'm walking freely now.. Can we go home please?" Quinton said, "One thing first." "What?" "You'll have physio sessions at least twice a day. you can do it from home. I can send a physio out. Need to get that pelvis strong again. But please be careful. dont push yourself. the sessions will be in 2 hour intervals for at least 3 months. Can you do that for me?" Piper smiled and hugged Dr Quinton and so did Terese. "Go home." Quinton held out the release forms. "Keep that brace until the physio says you don't need it any more." Quinton then walked out of the room and saw Karl. "Karl." "Quinton. The release forms." Quinton handed Karl the release forms and said to Karl. "Its okay mate. I'm not here to take your job." "I know your not mate. But you need to know that.. that was amazing.." "Excuse me?" "Getting her up and out of bed. finally gets her out and home. Good job mate." Quinton confused said "Medicine isn't about getting them out and up quickly. its about doing it right. As an Orthopaedic surgeon Karl, a person gets better at home and around an environment that makes them feeling at home. She is getting home physio for up to 3 months. To me she looked ready to go home when i looked at those 7 week x-rays." Karl said "Alright.. Sorry there." "Nah i'm sorry, just the way I did things back at my old hospital. big surgeries we consistently said 7 week mark was the mark to send people home unless they were cardiac patients." Karl then said "Maybe that can work here?" "Unless its a consistent lot of cardiac patients I don't think so." Quinton chucked. "I'm going to pop out for a lunch break, be back in an hour." Karl nodded and said "sure." Quinton walked outside to see Terese and Piper just leaving the hospital. Quinton walked to the taxi rank and got in. A few minutes later he walked into the local café named "Barbs". Quinton lined up. Quinton ordered his coffee "Hi. Can I please get a strong mocha latte." "sure.." "Thanks." "You the new doctor? I am yes. Orthopaedic surgeon." "Ooh bones." "I like how that assumption works.." "What do you mean?" "Not just bones, like ligament tears and dislocations, diseases of bones." "I think I get the picture." "I'm Quinton." "I'm Lauren" Quinton pointed to the spot where he was going to sit and he sat down. As Quinton waited for his coffee he read the paper. As someone came in with another friend. "Hey did you hear?" "what?" "Pipes is coming home. Said some new doc was happy with progress and sent her home this morning." Quinton smiled as he continued listening. "3 months physio Pipes said. Still in the brace but better safe than sorry." Quinton chucked to himself as he said "She was leaving the hospital, when I came to lunch." "excuse me?" "I was the doctor who released her." Quinton stood up and said "4 months in hospital is a very long time. All she needed to do was walk up a hall with a walker and try it unaided. I know I shouldn't be discussing this in public, but she said she couldn't wait to tell her boyfriend or something. She looked very happy just to be going home." Quinton smiled. "Names Quinton. Dr Quinton Philips." "Tyler, and this is my brother Mark." Quinton nodded and said. "I'm assuming your the boyfriend. don't wait. go and see her." Quinton smiled. Tyler nodded and shook Quinton's hand. Quinton sat down to his coffee and saw Mark. "Mark." "Dr Philips." "I can tell we will be great friends." Quinton took a sip of his coffee and swallowed it. "Officer Mark.. I can tell. you might bring up my history. So here it is. I am a retired NOL player, I am semi-retired from PE teaching, and I am a doctor. I had a history of alcohol abuse after I retired from the NOL. I spent 2 Years in federal prison for assault. I got suspended from both teaching and medicine for 3 years each. My wife Jen died over a decade ago in a car accident and my son lives in Canada." Mark shocked said "I wasn't going to ask you anything, but wow that is rough." Quinton said "I'm not done yet.. I've been sober for at least 10 years, couldn't stand the drink after the assault charge. If I go drink i only ever drink one. Look Mark. I'm saying this now, just in case I get feelings for one person here in Sebour. I never want to hurt a person. And if you have to see my history it doesn't faze me. I told Dr Kennedy and Terese, everything about me." "You've been busy today." "Of course. no point in lying." "Why are you here then?" "I wanted to get away from my old town. It was getting stale. I had this chat with Karl this morning. I have nothing to hide. Not anymore." Quinton chuckled. Mark then said "If that's all i am happy to be friends with someone like you." Few Weeks Later A Few weeks later, Quinton had settled down in Sebour and made friends with mostly everyone. He was on call at the hospital mostly during the night, so he could have the day to himself. Quinton in the few weeks in Sebour had made a close friendship with Terese. Walking around the hospital filling out charts Quinton bumped into Paul, the town 'baddie', Quinton said "Paul." "I see you made friends with Terese." "Like any normal person.. Paul.." Paul scowled and said "What does that mean?" "I know all about your type Paul. You've been in prison I assume?" Paul sighed and said "You're joking right?" Quinton scowled and said "No. I am not joking. I know people like you Paul. Give people the world and take it right out from under them. Lying to get your own way. Yeah I know your type." "For a man who spent only 2 years in jail for assault.." "I'll stop you there. It was in confinement. And it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I really learned a lot about myself. Unlike you." As Quinton continued his tirade on Paul, his daughter Sophie walked past chucking to herself. "That will never get old." "What? someone going off at your dad? or someone wanting to deck him?" "A bit of both.". Quinton then said "I understand you don't like me talking to one of your flames, Paul, but we're grown ups. relationships grow. You either need to step back or shut up. Get over it." Quinton went back on his rounds leaving Paul standing in the corridor. Paul then said "Yeah same." Meeting an Old Friend Quinton was in his office at the hospital when he heard a knock on the door. "When a man has that much paper work, he's gotten into the wrong profession." "Kari? Kari Kingram? Is that you?" "The one and only." 'Come in sit down." Kari smiled and closed the door. "Its been a while Quinton. Begs isn't the same without you, you know." "Yeah. I know. You know why I had to Kari. After Jen died, I didn't have much to go back to there." "The school. Both hospitals. Its a lot to leave behind you know." Quinton sighed and said "It wasn't easy, it never is. The people here are great, made friends with mostly everyone." Quinton sighed again and said "Kari. I don't want to sound like a complete dick, but what are you doing here? Where is John and your family?" Kari smiled and said "Their, moving in to a place around from Jacobs street. I came to see you. I need something done, and soon." Kari produced a file and showed Quinton an MRI of her leg. Quinton surprised looked at it and said "This isn't great, Kari." Kari nodded and said "Yeah I know. I figured you'd be the best one to help me out." Quinton looked at the scan and said "The bone bruise, indicates you've done your knee. the x-ray is showing me the opposite." Quinton wiped his hand across his face. Kari then said "What is your opinion on this?" "Surgery. depending on how much damage there is, you're looking at a 4-5 month recovery." Quinton then said "The MRI shows the damage to the meniscus, that is 4-6 wks depending on damage, and these bone bruises are a different story. Looks may deceive, but I need to do surgery right away. I'll book you in for later today." "Thanks Quinton" "No problem." Quinton smiled as he said "Tell me Kari. What happened." "What happened when?" "I left Begs." "The school went into a meltdown. If you didn't follow the news, there was a huge breakdown between both staff and the board of education, the board sacked an entire department of veteran teachers, the History department. the school also lost funding, students." Quinton's jaw dropped. "Oh wow." Kari continued "After the storm that happened, the HSIE members that were sacked came back, student numbers climbed. The funding never came back." Quinton then said "What about everyone else were they ok." "Yeah. Took a while but they are fine. Kari's Surgery